Scott Berg Becomes AGS Board President

Washington, D.C.--Members of the American Gem Society elected Scott Berg as president of its board of directors at the close of the organization’s annual Conclave.

The certified gemologist (CG), who is a member of the family that runs multi-store independent Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry, assumes the role from outgoing president Louis Smith, CG, of Smithworks Fine Jewelry in Spartanburg, S.C. He will remain board president until April 2018.

In addition to being a CG, Berg is a Gemological Institute of America graduate gemologist and holds an MBA from Louisiana State University.

For the past nearly 14 years, he has served as president of the Louisiana market for his family’s jewelry store, Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry. The company has a total of eight stores in three states--Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi.

He also is not the only Berg serving in a leadership position in the jewelry industry; his brother Ryan is the current board chairman of Jewelers of America.

Backing up Berg will be board President-Elect John Carter of Jack Lewis Jewelers in Bloomington, Ill.

Underwood Jewelers’ Michael Richards (CG) was elected as the board secretary while Frank Brown (RJ) of Brown & Company Jewelers was appointed treasurer and Georgie Gleim (CG) of Gleim the Jeweler was tapped as the board’s senior adviser.

The committee chairs are:
AGS Lab Board of Advisers, Clayton Bromberg (CG), Underwood Jewelers;
Conclave Sub-Committee, Carter;
International Guilds Council, Marc Altman (CGA), B & E Jewelers and Gemologist;
Gemological Sciences Committee, Richards;
Education Committee, Lisa Bridge (CG), Ben Bridge Jeweler;
Marketing Committee, Scott Udell,  London Jewelers; and
Membership Committee and Grievance & Review, Kelly Newton, Newton’s Jewelers.

The directors-at-large are:
Joel Hassler (CGA), Rasmussen Diamonds;
Scott Murphy, Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company;
Alexis Padis (CGA), Padis Jewelry;
Beryl Raff, Helzberg Diamonds;
Ronnie Vanderlinden, Diamex Inc.;
Yancy Weinrich, Reed Jewelry Group; and
Stewart Wicht, Rolex Watch U.S.A. Inc.

Editor’s Note: This article was updated on April 20, 2016, to reflect that Scott Berg will remain as AGS board president until April 2018, not 2017, as was previously stated.